WIP WENDESDAY

I am not working on anything. But for you Deb in the spirit of Quilt Studio'S wip Wednesday,

I give you

GRACE

12 1/2 X 12 1/2

This is my newest miniature. It has something like 486 1/2 " blocks. It contains mostly hand dyes and just a few batiks. Fabric was specifically dyed, and blocks were specifically pieced to get the color just the way I wanted it.

All I can say now is that it seemed like a good idea at the time. I thought my pineapple was difficult with 45 pieces for each 2" block. I figured I would do a simple 5 piece block so I could make it really little. I worked a couple of months piecing the blocks. I started in the center and worked my way out, placing each block on my miniature design wall

I didn't realize until I started putting the blocks together, that there would be 3 places on the side of each 1/2 " seam to match. This turned out to be a very difficult quilt. I will rethink before I make another extensively pieced miniature.

This is the second quilt in a series I call "Out of the Darkness". After nearly dying from a heart infection 5 years ago, I had some memory loss. After sewing and quilting my whole life, I couldn't even piece a simple block, then one day I got an idea for a New York Beauty quilt that I pieced in a two week period. I called it "Out of the Darkness, into God's light. I always said it was as if God put the idea in my head, and the ability/memory to make it. He turned on the light.

Grace has the same kind of color placement as my NYB. And yes, it represents to me, God's Grace. The closer you are to God (the center) the brighter it is. I have hand sewn tiny Austrian crystals on the front. More in the center and sparse placement the farther out towards the dark fabrics

I have it entered in a few shows, but there are many good miniatures out there. I don't really know what judges might like. But it means more to me than just a show quilt. On the label I put a bible verse. "But by the Grace of God, I am what I am."